I am using an open access figure in my thesis/dissertation, do I need permissions?
Do I need permissions to quote published resources in the text of my thesis/dissertation?
Is it okay to use images that I found via a google search in my thesis/dissertation?
I made a figure out of published data, what kind of permissions do I need?
Do I need permissions to include a published assessment or measure in my appendix?
In most cases, you will need to document that you have permissions from your publisher to reprint your article in your thesis/dissertation. Many publishers openly post an author rights policy that addresses this. This guide collects the author rights policy on many of the publishers graduates work with. You may be able to find your publisher policy in the three Publishers tabs on the left.
A screenshot of the publisher policy can be added to your permissions appendix as documentation. You will also need to precede the article in your dissertation with a note to the reader that includes the full published citation, copyright status, and that the article is reprinted with permissions.
According to the ETD process and guide instructions from the Office of Graduate Studies you may only include verbatim copies of published articles for which you are the first author. For more detail on this policy, I suggest contacting the Office of Graduate Studies.
Copyright to what you create is yours until you sign it over during a publication process or make some other transfer of that right. If the material you include in your dissertation is not published or accepted for publication by the time of submission, you do not need to worry about documenting copyright.
It is a good idea to reach out to your editor/publisher to let them know that your submission includes material that will appear in your thesis/dissertation. Some publishers may require an embargo or delayed release of your thesis/dissertation to ensure that the official published version is the first material that the public has access to.
If at the time you submit your ETD, your paper is accepted for publication, then you will need to document permissions or the publisher policy in your permissions appendix. You will also need to precede the article in your dissertation with a note to the reader that includes the full published citation, copyright status, and that the article is reprinted with permissions.
You will likely need to obtain permissions to use images from previously published material you have authored. Your reuse of the material may be covered in a posted author rights policy by your publisher. This guide collects the author rights policy on many of the publishers graduates work with. You may be able to find your publisher policy in the three Publishers tabs on the left.
A screenshot of the publisher policy can be added to your permissions appendix as documentation. You should include a figure note just under the figure that includes the full citation, copyright ownership, and that use is with permissions.
You will likely need to obtain permissions to use a published figure or a figure created by someone else in your thesis/dissertation. Many publishers have automated this process with a ‘request permissions’ link on the article page. If you have trouble locating this link or a permissions contact, you can contact your copyright librarian for help. Please be prepared to share the figure’s original citation.
Any permissions you obtain can be added to your permissions appendix. You should also include a figure note just under the figure that includes the full citation, copyright ownership, and that use is with permissions.
Open access images, i.e. those released with a Creative Commons or other open license, should not need any additional permissions. However, you will need to document that the terms of the open license allow your reuse by taking a screenshot of the Creative Commons or other open license where it appears with the figure/material you are using.
For example, to document your use of Creative Commons or public domain images from Wikimedia Commons, you can take a screenshot of the image information page that lists the CC license or Public Domain copyright status to add to your permissions appendix as documentation.
If the image does not have a Creative Commons or other open license attached to it, it may not be open access and will likely require permissions in order to use in your ETD.
Paraphrasing, summarizing, and making small quotes from published sources with full citation does not normally need permissions. These uses are a common fair use of published copyrighted material.
However, if you are using figures from or quoting an extensive portion of a source, then permissions may be necessary. For example, one quoted sentence from a 14 page published article should not require permissions as long as full citation is given, but one sentence from a three line poem is a substantial portion of the original and may need permissions.
You will likely need to obtain permissions to use a published figure or a figure created by someone else in your thesis/dissertation unless that figure was released with an open license. The process for requesting permissions will vary depending on where the image was found. For example, many publishers of scholarly journals have automated processes for handling permissions requests called RightsLink. On the other hand, some independent website owners may best be reached by a direct email. Your copyright librarian can help you locate permissions contacts if you cannot find them.
Copyright protects creative expression; it does not protect data or facts. If you created your own tables from data gleaned from published sources then you should not need permissions for your newly created tables. In the case where you have created your own table from published data, your figure note should cite the original publication as the source of the data.
However, if you replicated creative expression, including word choice, line weight, font, color, shapes, layout, etc., then you may need permissions. Sometimes publishers make the permissions process pretty easy, so this is always an option.
Yes, you will likely need to obtain permissions to reprint a published assessment, measure, or any other type of published material or material created by others whether that material is included in your main text or in your appendix.